Seeing Off the Johns

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Thanks to their athletic prowess, the two Johns — Mejias and Robison — own the hearts and minds of their one-stoplight hometown of Greenton, Texas. But on their way to the University of Texas in Austin and greater glory, both phenoms are killed in a truck accident. A tragedy, and yet not everyone is devastated by it: Chon, for one, isn’t, as his former girlfriend, the beautiful Araceli, was stolen away by Mejias. Chon wonders if their relationship is fated to remain a simple friendship, or if now he might be able to win her back. Though the context of Perez’s first novel is Mexican American, Chon’s longings are universal, ones every reader can identify with. If there is a fault with the novel, it is that it can be too detailed; Perez has a habit of telling readers more than they need to know, slowing the pace of the narrative. That aside, however, the novel achieves its goal of bringing two appealing teens and their relationship to vivid life.

- Michael Cart, October 1, 2015 Visit Website